Parking structures



Oct. 15, 1963 M. SHUTT PARKING STRUCTURES 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed NOV. 5, 1962 INVENTOR Milo Shun Fll 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Milo ShuH M. SHUTT PARKING STRUCTURES Oct. 15, 1963 Filed Nov. 5, 1962 Oct. 15, 1963 s u 3,107,016

PARKING STRUCTURES Filed NOV. 5, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Milo shun 4/ www United States Patent 3,107,016 PARKING STRUCTUPES Milo Shutt, Alliance, Ghio, assignor to Union industrial (30., Division of The Alliance Machine (30., Alliance, Ohio, a corporation of ()hio Filed Nov. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 235,228 4 Claims. (Cl. 21416.1)

This invention relates to parking stnuctures and particularly to a parking structure adapted for parking automobiles on above street levels while using the street level areas for shops, showrooms and the like. This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application Serial No. 733,219, filed January 10, 1958.

It has long been recognized that the portions of a parking structure facing the street are more valuable as shops, showrooms, banking areas and the like than as parking spaces. With conventional mechanical parking structures, however, it has been impossible to take full advantage of this fact without the use of expensive telescoping elevators, and complex controls on the elevator and tower. As a result, mechanical parking garages have to a large extent been limited in the use to which the lower floors could be adapted.

The present invention provides a parking structure which overcomes these diificulties. Preferably, I provide spaced tiers of automobile receiving stalls opening on a common elongated well, vertical guide means at each end of the well ext nding from top to bottom thereof, a horizontal bridge extending lengthwise of the well between said guide means and vertically slidable thereon, hoist means for raising said bridge on the guide means, a vehicle receiving cage depending from said bridge and movable horizontally therealong and drive means for selectively moving the cage along the bridge. Preferabl the well is restricted in its lowermost extremity to a portion shorter than its normal length forming a vehicle receiving area, whereby a portion of the structure is available for shopping areas and the like. top means are provided on the guide means to stop the vertical travel of the bridge at a distance from the bottom of the well, substantially, equal to the depending length of the cage except when the cage is in alignment .-with the receiving area from the restricted position of the well. Preferably, the stop means includes interlocking means acting cooperatively between the bridge drive and the cage drive, whereby the vertical movement of the bridge and the horizontal movement of the cage are restricted as the bridge approaches the receiving area.

In the foregoing general description of my invention, I have set out certain advantages, purposes and objects of the present invention. Other advantages, purposes and objects will be apparent from the consideration of the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of an illustrative parking structure incorporating the present invention;

lFlGURE 2 is a vertical section through the structure of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line Illlll of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a section on the line lVlV of FIG- URE 2;

FlGURE 5 is a top plan view of the structure of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is a schematic wiring diagram for the bridge lift motor.

Referring to the drawings I have illustrated a parking structure having spaced apart tiers 1t)- and 11 separated by a vertical well 12. Each of the tiers it and 11 is provided with par"ig stalls 13 each adapted to receive 3,1913% Patented Get. 15, 1 963 an automotive vehicle. The lowermost level of each of the tiers and the well is provided with a shopping and arcade area 14 along one side. This leaves a shortened area at the lower level of the well alongside the arcade area forming a reception area 16 into which vehicles to be parked are driven. Each end of the well is provided with a vertical column 17 having a vertical rail 13 on one side facing the well. Each of the columns 17 is spaced from the outer wall of the parking structure, a distance suflicient to form a shaft 13 adapted to carry counterweights 2%. A platform 21 is built across the center of the well 12 on supporting girders 22. Mounted on the platform 21 is a drum 23 driven by motor 24. A vertically movable bridge 25 extends between the columns 17 at the ends of the well. The bridge 25 is made up of supporting girders 26 and 27 connected by end mem ers 28. At each end of the girders, mounted on each of the end members 28 are spaced guides 29 engageable on the rails 13 and slidable thereon. Sheaves 31 are mounted for rotation on the bridge 25. At each end member a lifting cable 31 passes around the sheaves 3%"; at each end of the bridge end over sheaves 32 mounted at the top of each end of the well 12 on supporting girders 33. Each end of the lifting cables 31 passes around the drum drive 23 and over a sheave 34 mounted on the girder 35 at the end of the well adjacent the girder 33. Each end of the cable is fixed to counterweights 29 movable in the shafts 19. A cage 36 is mounted dependingly from wheels 37 which are adapted to run on rails 38 on the bridge 25. One set of Wheels 37 is driven by a motor 39 through a conventional drive til. Cables 41 and 42 are anchored to the cage 36. Cable 41 passes over a sheave 43, at one end of the bridge 25, while cable 42 passes over a sheave 4 at the opposite end of the bridge 25'. The ends of cables 41 and 42 after passing over sheaves 43 and 44 are connected to a balancing counterweight 45 mounted on wheels 46 adapted to run on rails 47 on top of the bridge 25. The cables 41 and 42 are so adjusted that when the cage 36 is at one end of the bridge 25, the counterweight 45 is at the opposite end of bridge 25 so that the weight on the bridge is balanced. The weight of the balancing counterweight is 50 selected as to be substantially equal to the weight of the cage 36 and the weight of an average vehicle which might be carried thereby. The cage 35 is provided with spaced apart kick-up rollers 28 adapted to run beneath rails es spaced above rails 38. These rollers 43 prevent the cage 36 from tipping in the event of an unbalanced load in the cage 36. Cooperating limit switches 5% on the vertical columns 17 and 51 on the bridge 25 act on the controller circuit of the motor 24- in conventional manner so as to prevent the bridge 25 from be ng lowered to the bottom of the well except when the cage 36 is in alignment with the reception area 3.6. The circuitry of limit switches Sit and 51 is sirnply and schematically shown in F1"- URE 6. Switches 5i) and 51 are placed in separate branches of a parallel circuit supplying input electrical power to motor 24. In such a circuit current can flow to the motor only when switch 5% and/or 51 are closed. Switch 50 is opened when the bridge 25 is lowered below it. Switch 51 is opened when the cage 36 is moved to the left beyond it viewing FlGURE 2.

The parking structure of the present invention operates as follows: When it is desired to pick up a vehicle in the reception area 16, the cage 36 is moved on the bridge 25 by energizing motor 39 which drives the wheels 37 through the drive 49 to bring the cage in alignment with reception area 16. This releases the interlocking limit switches Sil and 51. Motor 24 is then energized to pay out cables 31 from drum 23 thereby raising the counterweights 2t and lowering the bridge 25 on the rails 18 until the cage 36 reaches the level of the reception area 16. When a vehicle is taken into the cage 35 the motor 24 is energized in the opposite direction, drum 23 takes up cable 31 lifting the bridge 25 out of. the reception area 16 into the fuel section of the well 12. The rotation of the drum 23 is continued until the cage reaches the desired parking level. Motor 3% is then energized, to carry the cage 36 along bridge 25 to the desired parking stall. As the cage moves on the bridge 25, counterweight 45 moves in the opposite direction thereby balancing the Weight of the cage 36 and the vehicle contained therein. When the vehicle is discharged from cage 36 the cage is returned to the reception area 16 in the manner above described.

A vehicle is removed from its parking stall by reversing the steps above set out.

Hydraulic bumpers 52 are mount d on the members 23 of the bridge 25 to abut a stop member 53 at the bottom of the rail 18 so as to limit the lowering of the bridge 25. Limit switches, not shown, are provided at the stop members 35 to shut off motor 24 when the bridge 25 reaches its lowermost position.

While I have illustrated and described a present preferred form of my invention it may be clearly understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

'1. A parking garage having spaced tiers of automobile receiving stalls opening on a common elongated vertical well, said well being restricted at its lowermost extremity to a portion shorter than its normal length forming a receiving area, vertical guide means at each end of the Well extending from top to bottom thereof, a horizontal bridge extending lengthwise of the well between said guide means and vertically slidable thereon, hoist means for raising said bridge on the guide means, a vehicle receiving cage depending from said bridge and horizontally movable therealong, drive means for selectively moving the cage along the bridge and stop means acting on the hoist means to limit the lowering of the bridge at a spaced distance from the restricted portion of the well equal to the depending length of the cage, except when the cage is in alignment with the receiving area.

2. A parking garage having spaced tiers of automobile receiving stalls opening on a common elongated vertical well, said well being restricted at its lowermost extremity to a portion shorter than its normal length forming a receiving area, vertical guide means at each end of the Well extending from top to bottom thereof, a horizontal bridge extending lengthwise of the well between said guide means and vertically slidable thereon, a drum above the well, sheaves on each end of the bridge and at each end of the top of the well, a cable passing through said sheaves and in driving engagement with said drum whereby rotation of the drum causes the cable length passing through the sheaves to be simultaneously changed from both ends, a vehicle receiving cage depending from said bridge and horizontally movable therealong, drive ,4 means for selectively moving the cage along the bridge and stop means acting on the hoist means to limit the lowering of the bridge at a spaced distance from the restricted portion of the well equal to the depending length of the cage, except when the cage is in alignment with the receiving area.

3. A parking garage having spaced tiers of automobile receiving stalls opening on a common elongated vertical Well, said well being restricted at its lowermost extremity to a portion shorter than its normal length forming a receiving area, vertical guide means at each end of the well extending from top to bottom thereof, a horizontal bridge extending lengthwise of the well between said guide means and vertically slidable thereon, a drum above the well, sheaves on each end of the bridge and at each end of the top of the well, a cable passing through said sheaves and in driving engagement with said drum whereby rotation of the drum causes the cable length passing through the sheaves to be simultaneously changed from both ends, hoist means for raising said bridge on the guide means, a vehicle receiving cage depending from said bridge and horizontally movable therealong, counterweight means movable on the bridge, connections from said counterweight to the cage whereby the counterweight and cage move simultaneously and equally in opposite directions, drive means for selectively moving the cage along the bridge and stop means acting on the hoist means to limit the lowering of the bridge at a spaced distance from the restricted portion of the well equal to the depending length of the cage, except when the cage is in alignment with the receiving area.

4. A parking garage having spaced tiersof automobile receiving stalls opening on a common elongated vertical well, said well being restricted at its lowermost extremity to a portion shorter than its normal length forming a receiving area, a vertical guide rail at each end of the well extending from top to bottom thereof, a horizontal bridge extending lengthwise of the well between said guide rails, spaced guide members on each end of the bridge engaging the rails and vertically slidable thereon, a drum above the well, sheaves on each end of the bridge and at each end of the top of the well, a cable passing through said sheaves and in driving engagement with said drum whereby rotation of the drum causes the cable length passing through the sheaves to be simultaneously changed from both ends, hoist means for raising said bridge on the guide means, a vehicle receiving cage depending from said bridge and horizontally movable therealong counterweight means movable on the bridge, connections from said counterweight to the cage whereby the counterweight and cage move simultaneously and equally in the opposite directions, drive means for selectively moving the cage along the bridge and stop means acting on the hoist means to limit the lowering of the bridge at a spaced distance from the restricted portion of the well equal to the depending length of the cage, except when the cage is in alignment with the receiving area.

No references cited, 

1. A PARKING GARAGE HAVING SPACED TIERS OF AUTOMOBILE RECEIVING STALLS OPENING ON A COMMON ELONGATED VERTICAL WELL, SAID WELL BEING RESTRICTED AT ITS LOWERMOST EXTERMITY TO PORTION SHORTER THAN ITS NORMAL LENGTH FORMING A RECEIVING AREA, VERTICAL GUIDE MEANS AT EACH END OF THE WELL EXTENDING FROM TOP TO BOTTOM THEREOF, A HORIZONTALLY BRIDGE EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF THE WELL BETWEEN SAID GUIDE MEANS AND VERTICALLY SLIBABLE THEREON, HOIST MEANS FOR RAISING SAID BRIDGE ON THE GUIDE MEANS, A VEHICLE RECEIVING CAGE DEPENDING FROM SAID BRIDGE AND HORIZONTALLY MOVABLE THEREALONG, DRIVE MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY MOVING THE CAGE ALONG THE BRIDGE AND STOP MEANS ACTING ON THE HOIST MEANS TO LIMIT THE LOWERING OF THE BRIDGE AT A SPACED DISTANCE FROM THE RESTRICTED PORTION OF THE WELL EQUAL TO THE DEPENDING LENGTH OF THE CAGE, EXCEPT WHEN THE CAGE IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE RECEIVING AREA. 